This simple anonymity trick gives the NSA a “catastrophic” headache

With the constant stream of news about government agencies and corporations stealing your data and spying on you without your permission, many people have begrudgingly conceded that privacy on the internet simply isn’t possible. All is not lost, however, as some recently leaked NSA documents show that there are a few simple tools and tricks out there that even the NSA has an incredibly difficult time combating. 

It’s not easy to be truly anonymous online. Sure, there are plenty of chat apps and secret-sharing sites that claim to offer you privacy, but it’s tricky to know whether US intelligence agencies have a backdoor to access them. The best way to stay anonymous online has been to use Tor, a special kind of web browser developed to help US government employees hide their tracks online. But if you want to be properly anonymous, you need a combination of extra services and websites on top of Tor to avoid detection. Plenty of online guides offer advice on the subject, but it’s always been hit and miss. Now, leaked NSA documents provide a big clue on how to remain hidden. They show that the agency has trouble breaking certain methods of encryption.